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Jhongshan Junior Highschool

Sunday, June 18th, 2006

1st years2nd years

Jhonshan Junior High school is where Pei-jen and Kuei (who stayed with before PJ arrived) both went to school. It’s a regular high school but with a special dance department.

Every time Pei-jen comes back to Taiwan she gets hunted down and asked to do some teaching there. And this time as she had a laowai with her, her old teacher was even more insistant in her coming. So… we were drafted in on a tight schedule.

The all-giggling-girls school is from 11-14 yrs over 3 years of study. Pei-jen was asked to choreograph a piece for the 2nd years for next March and I was to be technique teacher and assistant (PJ to translate of course!).

These kids work hard, long hours and very committed. Not all the pupils do dance, only about 20 in each year. They are committed. Even in on weekends to practise and rehearse as well as keeping up their other extra-curriclular activities they all do.

Over the next 10 days or so it was so nice to spend time with these young ladies. They were all such characters and very talented, and very, very bendy! On one of the last days I made a deal with the 1st years that I would show them one of my kung fu forms if they showed me some of theirs. They we great, and legs up to their ears. Very impressive, I almost chickened-out of showing my stick form… not as bendy but I did shout a bit which they seemed to like.

They took well to my floor work, which is quite different to their balletic training. I soon had them running across the studio like monkeys!

We worked really hard and by the end made a really nice peice,  the only problem is they perform it in March – 8 months away!! I hope they remember it!!

On the last day with the 2nd years, PJ and I took them and their teacher out for bubble tea. They are all really bright with great senses of humour. On the photo moving clockwise from me, is: XiaoTse (Little Kindness), Elephant, Teacher Sky-Honesty/ Innocent (HA!), Smelly fruit Durian, Shrek, Pear, Pig and back to me. Their names are all Chinese translations, nicknames or part of their names. Whacky! ^o^

Out to bubble tea

Green Island

Friday, June 16th, 2006

The open roadTaiwan Mainland

It is Thursday 15th June 2006, And Myself, Pei-jen and Tsai Mama (Pei-jen’s Mum that is) set off from Tainan – destination Green Island AKA Ludao.

Train from Tainai to Taitung skirting round quite a lot of coastline to get to the East coast of Taiwan. Taiwan’s centre is very mountainous and so most routes go round instead of through.

The ferry left from a small port town where we stopped for a fresh lunch. Then to the ferry. Far-removed from the Channel Crossing we know… and… love?, where there is always space to walk around, go on deck etc. This was a smaller affair, no deck to go on and everyone in comfy reclining seats… bad idea – with no deck to go on, where do all those land-lubbers go to watch the horizon to steady their stomachs? Oh dear. What a ‘hurly-burly’ crossing that was. Amazing! [read on]

Taipei – hot, wet and sticky!

Friday, June 2nd, 2006
 Taipei 101 I am here... To be honest, I haven't got my head around Taipei yet. It seems to be a right mixture - a bit like Japan, a bit of Hong Kong, quite a ... [Continue reading this entry]

Tokyo-Taipei (well actually it’s Tokyo – Osaka – Shanghai – Guangzhou – Hong Kong – Taipei… phew!) – UPDATED

Sunday, May 28th, 2006
Well, I said some sad goodbyes in Tokyo. I am not sure when I will see anyone again. Saya and Dom - good luck with the weddings... yes it's not a typo - did mean weddings... there are more than ... [Continue reading this entry]